Literary Insights

Literary Insights: A Book Lovers Review

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Snapshot by Lis Wiehl

The mid-60s were a turbulent time.
The JFK assassination, Robert Kennedy’s death a year or two later, and the
civil rights movement all contributed to a coming change to American culture.
And in that era a murder takes place in the midst of a civil rights parade - a
murder witnessed by two four year old girls and a father. Now, the man
convicted of the crime asks the father, a retired FBI agent, for help proving
his innocence, even as the date for his death sentence has been set.

The struggles of 1965 and the
changes that impacted our nation forever are themes explored throughout Snapshot. Wiehl weaves a difficult
father-daughter relationship through themes of race, religion, gender and
family. In addition, the lack of open and honest communication fractured
multiple relationships throughout the novel. Well-meaning intentions not properly
communicated operate at multiple levels throughout the relationships between
the major characters in the novel. A little comic relief is also provided in
the character of Rosalyn, a private detective with the gift of gab and a heart
of gold, and also by Molly, a female African-American minister who understands
and appreciates her heritage in the South.

The story held my interest from beginning to end I could not put it down. Snapshot by Lis Wiehl is an intriguing
mystery based around some true events and an actual picture Wiehl's FBI agent
father took of her as a child. The plot twists and turns will keep the reader
engaged until the murderer is exposed. A timely read for exploring more about
our nation’s Civil Rights Movement. A fun question and answer time with Lis and
her father, along with a Reading Group Guide. I thoroughly enjoyed this book,
and had a very hard time putting it down!

If you enjoy historical fiction with plenty of suspense and a dash of humor,
give this book a read. I highly recommend it.